Radial-draft gear.



H. T. KRAKAU RADIAL DRAFT GEAR.` APPLIOATION FILED 1330.31, 1908.

Peeentea Feb. 21, 1911.v

4 SHEETS-SHEET l.

INVENTOR WITNESSES H. T. KRAKAU. RADIAL DRAFT GEAR.

APPLIOATION FILED DEO. 31, 1908.

Patented Feb. 21, 1911.

4 SHEETS-SHEBT 2.

INVENTOR www.

H. T. KRAKAU. RADIAL DRAFT GEAR. APPLIOATION FILED DBO. 31, 1908.

Patented Feb. 21, 1911.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

INVENTOR WITNESSES H. T. KRAKAU.

RADIAL DRAFT GEAR.

APPLIQATION FILED 12110.31

Patented Feb. 21, 1911.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

INVENTOR i me?, y. www;

-Yvw W N W w W tional y of Fig. 7.

The draft gear is pivotally connected to Adinal sectional view of th.UNITED sraras PATE HARRYT. KRAKAU, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIG'N OR TOTHE NATIONAL MALLEABLE orrrcn.

v CASTINGS COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION 0F OHIO.

RADIAL-DRAFT GEAR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

. Application led December 31, 1908. Serial No. 470,185.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be itknown that I, HARRY T. KRAKAU, of Cleveland, Cuyahoga county, Stateof Ohio, have invented a new and useful Radial-Draft Gear, of whichthefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification,in-which- Figure 1 is a plan View partly in section illustrating theapplication of my invention to car and truck frame; Fig. 2 is a longitu-`e parts shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a sectional detail View of the partsshown in Fig. 2; Fig'.,4 is a front elevation partly in section,- on theline IV.-IV of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a cross section 4on the line V-V ofFig. 2; Fig, 6 is a detail view of the truck connection T; Fig. 7 isfalongitudinal section similar to Fig. 2, showin -a modification; and Fig.8 is a secetail view on the line VIIIe-VIII the car frame in such manneras to permit longitudinal motion in bufing and draft, preferably byslotting'the connection of the yoke to the pivot,l and springswhich actre-p spectively in bulin and draft, are mounted to move radially withthedraft gear and are set on opposite sidesofa fixed abutment. Ipreferably effect this as follows In the drawings,

. head having alshank 2 which, at its rear end,

is formed with a shoulderedV or a recessed portion to which the arms 3,3a ofthe yoke are secured by rivets vZi'or otherwise. The arms of theyoke are separate from one'another, and the upper arm 3a extendsrearwardly to. a support 4 carryin which passes through a slot 3 1n thearm of the yoke. This pin 5 actin within the slot 3 constitutes thepivota center on which the draft gear turns radially, .but by reason ofthe slotted connection no strain of draft-.or buing is putupon it and itis therefore not necessary strength.

The arms 3, 3 of the yoke are fixed together by a follower' 6 which isbolted rig` idly betweenA them by bolts c or otherwise.

-A fixed segment 7l passes between the arms of the yoke and is secured.at its ends to the car frame at d. The forward and rear faces .and rearends of the sleeve,

, abut.

1 represents the coupler` a pin 5v to make it of greatt of this se mentarek curved on arcs whose center is tlie pivotal center 5.

To constitute a sliding bearing between the yoke and the segment thereis a sleeve 8 which fits loosely around the segment within the members3, 3a of the yoke and has lateral flanges 8 which extend vertically atthe sides of the said arms so that the sleeve is caused to travellaterally therewith in the radial motions of the yoke. At the frontrespectively, and preferably formed integral therewith, are spring-seats8a against which the forward spring 9 andl the rear spring 10, which ispreferably a double spring,

11. is a follower at the rear ofthe coupler shank which is also formedwith a springl seat against which the front end of the spring at its sies, lugsV 11*L which fit laterally against the members of the yoke so asto hold thefollower inplace.

The coupler is supported at its forward end b a carrier 12 which isslidingly connecte -by lips or anges to a support 13 secured to'thebottom of the -car platform,

this support being curved on an arc whose y'center 1s the pin 5. Thebottom of the carrier 12 is lipped over a T-shaped slideway on the topofthe coupler shank so that motion, both longitudinal and radial, ispermitted to the coupler. 1

Patented ren.l 21, 191i.

respectively A 9 has a bearing, and it also has,

Thefdraft gearhas a truck connection T -whichis pivotally connected tothe truck by a in T and has a sliding connection at T2 with the yoke.This truck connection has lateral springs T3 which bear against .it

on opposite sides and also bear against brackets T4 on the truck frame.These springs permit lateral deflection of the, cou-` pler from itsnormal position, but are sulficient-ly stiftI to `move the couplerlaterally without vcompression when the couplerv moves with the truck inpassing around a curvein the track, thus guiding the couplersubstantially to the center of the track into proper position forcoupling with the coupler`ofanother car.

To operate the locking and opening device of the coupler from the bottomthere 1s a forwardly extending lever 14 pivoted to the coupler shank at15 and having an upwardly projecting arm 14a-which enters an therein.

opening at the bottom of the coupler and engages the lockingand openingmechanism gular in cross section but is in the shape of a channel, asshown in Figs. 2 and 4, and having a Iweb at the top. The coupler shankis open at the bottom so that the lever 14passes between the lwalls ofthe shank;

'and the lever. 14 hasa vertical eye 14 for passage of the horizontalportion 16a of the uncoupling lever 16 which is pivotally attached ateach end to the arm 17 of a .lever 17. The portion '16a of the lever ispreferably formed ,of a pipe into whose open ends the bent portions ofthe lever 16 eX- tend, so that when the Vlever 17 is raised at the sideof the car it will raise the pivoted lupper end of the lever 16,thusthrough its horizontalmember 16al in the slot 14' raisl ing thelever 14 and operatingthe parts of between the follower 11 and theforward 'face of the sleeve 8, this sleeve being held from longitudinalmotion in bufling and draft by the segment 7. The forward spring 9 neednot be of as great capacity as the spring 10 and is preferably of lesscapacity, for thebuiiing stresses are taken up by the curved end 18 o'fthe car platform, which ento swing radially jon the car frame, atransgages the similarly curved platformof'the next car. The coupler inits rear motion vbeing resisted merely by the comparatively y lightspring 9 will be pushed back toallow the platforms tov engage oneanother and the danger of injurious buckling ofthe couplers underbufting is thereby avoided.

Within the scope of my invention as broadly claimed, thel springs may beof equal strength and the forward spring arranged to take the stress ofbuiiing.

In Figs. 7 and 8, the construction is simi-- .lar to that describedabove, except .that a, lcarry iron 19 supportsthe coupler shank frombelow at its orward end, and in this way the parts-12 and 13 and the uper slideway 12-, above described are ren ered unnecessary. There is awearing plate 20 attached to the bottom of the coupler shank and ridingupon the top of the carry iron 19. This form of the device also differs'from that abovev described in that I only 'Ihe coupler shank 'is notrectan.

bers 21 and 21, between which are` followers 22, 22a. The spring 23 isinterposed between these followers and is preferably a double spring, asShown inthe drawings. f

The followers have flanges 22 which project vertically at the sides ofthe arms of the yoke and retain the followers in place. The fiangesarealso utilized in moving'the followers forwardly and backwardly for themembers 3, 3 of the pads 24 engaging the orward surfaces of oke, haveattached the anges 22 of the' forward follower 22 I and the rearsurfaces of the flanges 22 of the rear follower 22. When the coupler is.drawn forward in pulling, the members 3, 3a.

of the yoke acting through the pads 24 and .flanges 22', move the rearfollower forwardly, and as ,the forward follower is held by bearingagainst the forward member of the segment 21, the spring is compressedagainst the same. A similar action -compressing the springfagainsttherear member 21a of the segmentl takes place during bufling. f

The advantages of my invention will be lappreciated by those skilled inthe art. It

affords a strong and simple draft gear 'adapted to operate successfullyin passing around curves of short radius.

The device above described may y be changed in form and construction.

I claim r- 1. A draft gear having a coupler mounted to swing radially onthe car frame, a transverse segment in advance of thev center of motionof the coupler and rigidly secured to the car frame, and springs forbufiing and draft arranged in the-horizontal plane of the segment, andcoacting vwith the coupler.

2. A draftgear having a coupler mounted verse forwardly curved se ent inadvance of thelcenter of motion ofltlhe cou rigidly secured to the carframe, an springs for bufling and draftarranged in the horizontal .planeof the segment, and coacting therewith, said coupler having at itspivotal center a slidingconnection.

3. A draft gear having a coupler mounted to swing radially on the carframe, a transverse segment in advance of-the center ofV ler and Vtermediate forwar ly curved segment inad' Vance of the center ofl motionof the'yoke and along which it moves, said segment.

being secured to the car frame, and springsfor bufng and draftarrangedon opposite `segment extending sides of the segment and in itshorizontal plane, and coacting with the coupler.

A5. A draft gear having a coupler with rearwardly said yoke beingmounted to swing radially on the car frame, va transverse segment inadvance of the center of motion of the yoke and rigidly secured to thecar frame, said between the yoke arms, and springs for hurling and draftarranged in the horizont-al plane of the segment and ooacting with thecoupler.

6. A draft gear having a coupler with va rearwardly extending yoke, asliding connection pivotally connecting the yoke to the car, anintermediate transverse segment along which the yoke moves, springs onthe extending separated yoke arms,

opposite sides thereof, and a sleeve slidingly connected with the yokeand mounted slidingly on the Segment. I

7 A coupler, mounted for radial motion on the car frame and having initsupper portion projections slidingly engaging a'. carry iron 12 to allowlongitudinal motion of `the coupler, 'said carry iron being slidinglyconnected to -a transversely extending support on the car frame to allowradial motion of the coupler.

In testimony whereof7 `I have hereunto set my hand.

HARRY T. KRAKAU. `Witnessest A HENRY F. POPE, HARRY E. 01m.

